Cold Breakfast and Hot Green Tea
by Salmon
Summary: Coming home to a pissed off lover had not been on Ryuichi Sakuma's to do list.  RyuichixTatsuha. Established Relationship. R&R please.


**Cold Breakfast and Hot Green Tea  
><strong> **A Gravitation Fanfic**

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><p>Ryuichi was exhausted. Mentally and physically. Starting with the infamous world tour that went along with his movies openings, moving onto the numerous interviews surrounding it, and finishing with other public appearances - mostly related to various charities and causes - he hadn't had a moment's peace. But peace was what he was about to have. Peace, quiet, a home cooked meal, and some well deserved pampering by the one person who made his hectic existence into something resembling a real life. That was the plan, anyhow. They were derailed by a text message as he exited the shinkansen at a stop in Kyoto. Simple, direct, and to the point.<p>

'Couch.'

Coming home to a pissed off lover had not been on Ryuichi Sakuma's to do list.

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><p>The house was empty and dark, but the lanterns were lit at the temple. That meant Tatsuha was meditating. If it was dark and Tatsuha was meditating, it meant he was upset - not that the text wasn't hint enough. Ryuichi wanted a bath, but the bath was traditional and he didn't want to draw it now and leave it cold for Tatsuha. Normally Tatsuha would be there to tease him that as the eldest he should use the bath first. Usually he'd tease back that they should just use it together. Some days he'd be indulged on that whim - others Tatsuha would laugh and tell him he'd burn their dinner that way and send him off to get cleaned up with a brief kiss in consolation.<p>

He turned on the lights in the house and set his suitcase in the hallway next to their bedroom - proof to the younger man that he was taking the text seriously but was also still hoping he'd change his mind. There'd been no hint that the other was in a foul mood the previous evening when they chatted via webphone. In fact the conversation had gotten to what Rage would no doubt have complained was "grossly sappy" levels. Right before telling them to say something sexy instead to satisfy a lonely fangirl's cravings. That usually earned her a kumagorou beam from him and a complaint about her stealing his position as number one pervert in their ragtag family from Tatsuha. In a group gathering, this would usually earn a remark from Eiri that Tatsuha had lost the position when he'd settled down, and a cheerful offer from his lover to prove him wrong. (And that he was more than willing to go along with.) Then Mika and Noriko would smack around all parties involved because they were going to influence their children. He'd have thought both women would have realized a long time ago that said children were doomed due to their relatives. But despite what some tabloids claimed, he wasn't a masochist and had no desire for a second thrashing from the two.

The memories made him smile despite his current predicament. He made his way to the kitchen, hoping for atleast cold left overs. Said leftovers was a pot of rice. There was other foods in the fridge, and he was glad to see that. However, current evidence hinted that, on that day atleast, Tatsuha hadn't eaten anything but rice. He was going to lecture him again, just as soon as he patched things up. And maybe got a little of that pampering in. Okay, the latter was him being spoiled. Lecture first, because making sure Tatsuha took care of himself was more important than his own selfish whims. And even though he had a well-deserved reputation as a diva, Tatsuha was one of the exceptions.

He found the newspaper open on the table next to a half-finished plate of rice. He winced when he saw the picture. "Oh."

"That's not much of a defense."

Ryuichi turned to find Tatsuha in the doorway, still dressed in his robes. The scent of sandalwood incense floated toward him, and he had to resist the urge to go throw his arms around the other. Because he had missed him, horribly so, and texts and e-mails and webphones still wasn't the same as being truly together. "The charity arranged the tour-"

"A warning, Ryuichi. A warning would have been nice before I saw pictures of you rubbing elbows with the bastards who would love to see me shut down."

Swearing and still wearing his robes. Pissed off might have been an understatement considering how careful Tatsuha was about the temple's reputation and his behavior when representing it. "I knew you'd be upset-"

"That's an understatement." Tatsuha's voice was cold.

"Which is why I didn't want to have this conversation over the phone."

"You could have refused to go there."

"The reporters following us would have latched onto that in an instant. They could have claimed libel or any number of-" Ryuich began.

"And a media scandal meant more than doing the right thing? You cause media scandals all the time, Ryuichi. You practically thrive on them. You know what they're like there-"

"I know what he is like." He stressed the pronoun. "I know some of the others are the same way. But it's a big temple, Tatsuha. You can't judge everyone there by-"

"Are you defending them? If anyone there had an ounce of respectability they wouldn't let them get away with it!" Tatsuha snapped out.

"Even if it is to get attention, their assistance with the charity group-"

"Is to make them look good! And, fuck, Ryuichi, they should give some back considering all they do is exploit everyone else! If I had half as big a temple as theirs' I could do twice what they do with it-"

"But you don't. You don't and you won't try. You won't build this place up. You don't even take on anyone to help you with it." Ryuichi snapped back.

"Don't fucking tell me how to run my own temple!"

"Don't fucking yell at me for doing my job!"

Tears. Oh, heck. Ryuichi snapped his mouth shut the moment he saw the tears in those dark eyes. Oh, hell, Eiri and Mika were going to kick his ass. And he wasn't even going to fight back.

Tatsuha snatched the newspaper out of his hand. "Screw you." His words were calm despite the tears running down his cheeks. When he strode from the room, the slamming of a shoji door accompanied it only a moment later.

Ryuichi cursed himself in every language he knew how - about fifteen, since swear words were so easy to pick up - and wondered if the couch had gotten any more comfortable.

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><p>"I hate you."<p>

"You saw the newspaper article I take it?" Tohma sounded far to calm for his liking. He was probably curled up in a nice comfy bed with Mika by his side. Ryuichi told himself he wasn't jealous. His lying skills were apparently getting rusty.

"Tatsuha saw the newspaper article."

"How's the couch?"

"I really, really hate you."

"You got a photoshoot, I got a promise. You knew I'd collect."

"You knew where the charity tour stopped, didn't you?"

"If our positions were reversed...well, that's how you got your photoshoot, remember?"

"I must be losing my touch. I used to be able to avoid your collection attempts. This is so uncomfortable. I should get a hotel room."

"But you won't. Because you know you deserve it."

Ryuichi turned to face the couch cushions, pressing the cellphone to the opposite ear. "I deserve alot of things for all the shit I've done. And I've never worried about the punishments I deserve."

"And it will make it harder to gain his forgiveness."

"...did you really sleep on the couch that night?"

"I got a few things chucked in the general direction of my head as well."

"I am glad throwing furniture around seems to be an Eiri and Mika thing and not an Uesugi thing."

"So spoiled."

"You and Shuichi just have lousy taste. I got the best of the three."

"I'm sure there's an explanation for you. Maybe you got dropped on your head as a baby."

Only Tohma could say something like that while smiling. Of course, he was probably one of the only people who would laugh at it. "Of course, he got the best too. I'm way better than you or Shuichi."

"The next time I'm over there I'm breaking one of the couch springs. Right in the middle. So it'll poke you in the back every time you have to sleep there."

"And here I thought you'd done that already, from the feel of things..." For a moment there was silence. Then Ryuichi sighed and turned on his back. "I made him cry."

"Apologize." Was the simple advice - serious in tone. An offer from experience.

"Tomorrow then."

"Have a good night."

"I really, really, really hate you."

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><p>He awoke to a cold breakfast on the table beside him. And a cup of hot green tea. Sunlight was spilling in the window and he must have missed morning prayers. It explained both the cold breakfast and hot tea. "So...what did I do to be forgiven?" He asked aloud.<p>

There was a sigh, and then Tatsuha was there, in his robes again. Temple was open, after all. He sat down on the couch. "Page Four."

"Ah."

"You could...y'know...tell me this stuff before-"

"You go off on me?"

"...you deserved it."

"I suppose I did."

"How did you know about the embezzling?"

"I just happened to mention to one of the reporters that rumor said certain people at the temple were shady. I couldn't have anticipated the outcome." He kept his expression neutral. He picked up Kumagorou from the couch. "Hai!" The bunny nodded. "It was all a coincidence. Hai! Hai!"

"Coincidence my ass." Tatsuha's look was more amused then upset, though he could tell from the rings under his eyes he hadn't gotten enough sleep. They were puffy too, lingering evidence of his crying.

"I'd like alot of coincidences involving your ass, but in this particular case let's leave it out of the conversation." He winked at the younger man, and had to grin at the dusting of pink that colored his cheeks momentarily. Despite being lewd himself, Tatsuha did get embarrassed easily when you caught him off guard. Ryuichi enjoyed being in on that little secret quite a bit.

"Now you're being an ass."

"If you keep talking about asses, I'm going to think your implying something."

"Ryuichi..." The tone was both amused and resigned. It meant he was joking too much and needed to be serious. He set Kumagorou to one side.

"This isn't my world, it's yours. I'm sorry for what I said. It was out of line."

"I'm sorry too. I know it's your job. And I don't normally have any problems with any of it. This was just too close to home."

"I should have talked to you about it the moment I found out."

"I probably still would have been upset." The other admitted.

"Still not the same as picking up a newspaper and seeing your lover being friendly with the enemy."

"You might have been spared the couch."

Ryuichi chuckled, taking a sip of the tea. "It's not any more comfortable. We should consider a new one."

"I don't know what you mean, it works perfectly."

"To drive off potential couch crashers?"

"Exactly." Tatsuha's grin was infectious.

"I'd prefer the bed still."

"You look like you could use a bath. Smell like it too."

"It's so nice to come home and have your lover tell you you stink. Makes the whole coming home process very genuine."

Laughing, Tatsuha leaned in to nuzzle their noses together. "I'll draw your bath for you."

"Will you stay to wash my back?"

"I'll consider it."

Ryuichi leaned in to capture his mouth with his own. It was good to be home.

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><p>If anyone's confused, well, this will probably only make total sense once I finish <em>The Price for Loving You.<em> (A year since I updated? OMG, I'm horrible! I'm sorry. RL has been harsh, and yah, just insert my inane babble, enjoy this side/future story, and know that I have not lost my love of Gravi or my desire to finish _TPFLY_.)

But generally, what was supposed to have happened is Ryuichi spent time with groups connected to a charity as a favor for Tohma. One group was another temple - one Tatsuha is at odds with. Essentially several of the monks are supposed to only be interested in the money they can get out of their job and not truly helping anyone.

The conversation with Tohma is connected to my fic _Photographic Memories_, where Ryuichi makes a deal with Tohma to get Tatsuha to his photoshoot. In return, he owes Tohma a favor - one that will earn him a night on the couch. Tohma came to collect. This is Ryuichi's night on the couch and my first actual full on attempt at writing how I think Ryuichi and Tatsuha would be in a relationship. (They kinda skirt eachother in my other fics with them. Except _TPFLY_, and we haven't gotten to the actual romance in that one yet.) This was probably way too sappy, huh?

Well, hopefully some of you enjoyed it anyway. Reviews make my day, btw.

**_Salmon_**


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